How to Deal With After-Race Stress
Triathlon is no joke. You don’t just swim, cycle and run for leisure. It’s a sport which requires intensive training and discipline. A race would mean you’d exert your full effort. The difference between the race itself and the training proper is that at least in training, you’re not competing with anybody. In a race, it’s not only the physical exertion which would press down on you. Just imagine the pressure of having to race with hundreds of other athletes.
Pressure could hamper your progress and might hinder your way to victory. It doesn’t stop there, however. Most times, the stress of the event would take a toll on you and it goes on for days after the event. It’s during these times when triathletes don’t have the strength to get up and start training all over again. Think of it as a very, very bad hang-over. It’s hard to shake off and truth is that you have to rest a few days anyways before you get back on track.
The most ideal period of rest around five days though you could lessen it to three if you’re really itching to go back to training. Your body needs downtime. You’re not a machine, you need rest. Take time to enjoy a training-free day — it doesn’t happen quite often for pro-triathletes. Not only do you have to rest your body but also your mind. As was said, mental pressure is also part of triathlon events. Enjoy time with your family, read a book — free your mind completely from triathlon within that short span of time. Think of it as a catharsis. A race just ended, you need to cleanse your mind and body of that for future races and events. You need to start anew every time so cut yourself some slack and have fun every once in a while.
